Fork-guard



(Modem G. H. WAR N.

FORK GUARD.

No. 286,658. Patented on. 16, 1883.-

Fig-1- W|TNEE5EEJ UNITED STATES PATENT Grrrofn.

GEORGE E. WARREN, sHnLRURnn rants, MASSACHUSETTS.

FORK-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 286,658, dated October 16, 1883.

' Application filed April 13, 1883. (ModeL) To aZZ whom," it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. WARREN, of Shelburne Falls, in the county of Franklin and. State of Massachusetts, have invented certain Improvements in Guards and Rests for Table-Cutlery, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to table-cutlery; and it consists in a novel construction and application of a rest or combined guard and rest to thehandles of knives and forks, as herein after more fully set forth.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a fork having my improvement applied thereto, and Fig. 2 is a transverse section of the handle, showing the manner of applying the rest and guard.

Heretofore, as a general rule, rests or guards have been applied only to the more costly styles of cutlery, and which is generally forged in such a manner as to provide a bolster, and in carving-forks a strong and comparatively heavy shank also, the guard or rest being applied either to the bolster or shank thus formed.

The object of my present invention is to apply a rest or rest and guard, as the case may be, to the cheaper styles of cutlery, and which, as a general rule, is punched or cut from sheet or plate steel in such a manner that it has no bolster, and no thick heavy shank to which the rest or guard c'anbe applied.

In order to accomplish this object, I apply the rest or rest and guard, either or both, as.

may be desired, to the handle of the knife or fork, instead of to the shank or bolster, .as has hitherto been done. In order to do this ina cheap and simplemanner, I bore two small holes vertically through the handle A, just in rear of the ferrule, in case a ferrule be used, as indicated in Fig. 2. I then take a piece of wire or other flexible metal, B, and bend it in the form of a staple, its two legs I) 12 being parallel, and of such a distance apart as to enable them to be inserted into and shoved through these holes, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the protruding ends 0 0 being bent or spread apart, as shown in Fig. 2, so as to form a rest, and at the same time prevent it from becoming displaced. The portion which projects above the handle to form the guard is also spread out laterally, and also bent downward at the center, as shown at a. By this means it will be seen that I provide four:projecting points, so that whichever side up the knife or fork is laid, it will rest upon two of these projecting points, thus preventing the blade or tines from coming in contact with the table, or cloth, it of course being understood that the handle shall be sufficiently heavy to overbalance the blade or tines as the case may be.

In practice, the spreading and bending of the guard or upper part will be done before it is applied to the handle, the wire being cut and bent by machinery, which prepares it ready for insertion in the holes which are previously made in the handle to receive it.

Guards are required on carving-forks only, as a general rule, in order to protect the hand, and where it is not required, as with ordinary table or case knives and forks, the upper portion may be omitted. In that case the staple will be made shorter, and be shoved entirely down on the handle, so as to leave no projection above, its lower prongs being bent outward just the same. In like manner it is obvious that it may be so applied as to project above only, and thus form a guard without any rest; but that will seldom if ever be re quired. It is obvious that it may be made of two pieces of wire instead of one; but I prefer the plan shown, because the two prongs, being connected by the bow or cross-piece, are 8 5 prevented from turning in their seat, and, besides, it renders the device more ornamentaL.

I am aware that a rest has been applied to the bolster of a knife, and that a combined guard and rest has been secured to the shank of a fork by cutting notches therein and then casting a bolster thereon, and I do not claim these or either of them; but,

Having described my invention, what I claim is- 1. A rest or combined guard and rest for cutlery, consisting of one or more pieces of wire inserted through holes in the handle, substantially as shown and described.

2. A handle for table-cutlery provided with a guard constructed and applied thereto, substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE E. WARREN.

Witnesses:

HENRY M. PUFFER, NATHANIEL LAMSON. 

